Bethany Brittain, a former board member of the CFFP, talks about how the physical and emotional abuse of her childhood affected her relationship with her body and, ultimately, her health.

When I was 13, I declared war on my body. It wasn’t hard to do. It was quite natural even. There were dysfunctional events and forces in my past that had groomed me for that moment. I had received physical discipline from the time I was 6 months old. My family had unhealthy standards for female “modesty.” Physical and emotional boundaries that were essential for mental health were nonexistent.

Meanwhile, outside of my household, I saw many visuals that defined for me what the “ideal” body looked like. Most transmitted a plastic look found in your average Barbie doll. My wobbles and bulges were proof that my body wasn’t anything near ideal.

It all got to be too much. And so I took the only option I thought I had: I decided my body was something to be despised and declared war.

The CFFP is proud to announce that it has been chosen as one of five beneficiary organizations entitled to receive funding from members of the Foundation Beyond Belief. The FBB is a charitable foundation that focuses, encourages, and demonstrates humanist generosity and compassion.

The CFFP was chosen under the “Challenge the Gap” category which covers organizations that work with faith communities to carry out their good works. We hope that humanists who believe in the mission of the CFFP will become an FBB member and donate to the CFFP and other extraordinary organizations. Read a great description about the CFFP on the Foundation’s blog. Read More »

Religious community leaders should support the elimination of harmful practices inflicted on children, including by publicly challenging problematic religious justifications for such practices whenever they occur. . . . While in many situations of violations the rights of the child and the rights of his or her parents may be affected in conjunction, it is not always the case. . . . The interests of parents and children are not necessarily identical, including in the area of freedom of religion or belief.

—Heiner Bielefeldt, Special Rapporteur, Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council, United Nations

The Ten Commandments made room to condemn taking God's name in vain, keeping the Sabbath holy, and prohibiting graven images, but there is no "Thou shalt not rape." The Quran places great priority on not eating pork and on gathering wives and slave girls; but this horrific, devastating crime that has been committed rampantly throughout history against half of humanity doesn't even get an acknowledgement of existence.

—Ali A. Rizvi

The wolf will live with the lamb. The leopard will lie down with the goat. The calf and the lion and the yearling together, and a little child will lead them. (Isaiah 11:6)

Some people lose their parents to cancer or car accidents or other things. I've lost my parents to a cult.

—Lauren Drain, daughter excommunicated from her family and her church

We never really tell kids what [church] services are all about. All they're told is to be quiet and not talk for an hour. . . . There's the plight of the four-year-old who was in church on Sunday when the wine and wafers were passed out. His mother leaned over and told him that he was not old enough to comprehend the transubstantiation and that he was not allowed to partake in the Communion. Later, the collection plate came by and stopped dead in front of him. His mother again leaned over and tried to coax the nickel out of his clenched fist. He held firm and shouted, “If I can't eat, I won't pay.”